I’ve been doing lots of concerts over the last fortnight. All with my dear friend and fellow cellist David Pereira. I love playing with David and the concerts have been a real delight.

I’m not sure if you are aware (you mightn’t be, if you’re not a performer), but just after a concert, anyone who have just performed is incredibly vulnerable. You’ve just poured your heart and soul and then some into the last hour or so, and you are really raw.

Here’s a plea to anyone reading this…. if you talk to a performer directly after they have just performed, be careful. Because although you think you might be ‘joking’, it doesn’t always feel that way to us…. Here’s a few examples of what has been said to either David or me directly after we have just played. (You see, we remember them…. and sometimes they affect us badly.)

“I have to sit up the back of your concerts, because I don’t like how you look when you play. It’s too distracting.”

“Why don’t you wear lipstick?” (that was to me. No-one has said that to David – yet. I hate lipstick.)

“I have only come to this concert to hear David Pereira.” (that was said to me….)

“Are you aware you ended two of your sentences in your introductions with prepositions? I thought you might like to know that…”

“Do you have as many strings on your bow as Rachel? She’s so much louder than you….” (that was said to David)

“Why do you have your hair like that?”

“Shame about your first note, really…. Oh, well.”

We joke about them. Sometimes to audience members, but mostly to each other. I’m sure if you met us both the day after, and said any of those things, it would probably be alright. But it’s really hard to take just after we have played….

I’m just saying…..